Indolo quinolizidines reduction

Enantiospecific syntheses of amino derivatives of benzo[ ]quinolizidine and indolo[2,3- ]quinolizidine compounds have also been achieved via A-acyliminium ion cyclization reactions, as an alternative to the more traditional Bischler-Napieralski chemistry (see Section 12.01.9.2.2). One interesting example involves the use of L-pyroglutamic acid as a chiral starting material to construct intermediates 240 via reaction with arylethylamine derivatives. Diisobutylaluminium hydride (DIBAL-H) reduction of the amide function in 240 and subsequent cyclization and further reduction afforded piperidine derivatives 241, which stereoselectively cyclized to benzo[ ]quinolizidine 242 upon treatment with boron trifluoride (Scheme 47) <1999JOC9729>. 

A series of papers have been published by Lounasmaa et al. (122-128) on the synthesis of different alkaloid-like indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidine derivatives by means of reduction and subsequent cyclization of A-[2-(indol-3-yl)ethyl]piridi-nium salts, developed as a general method for indole alkaloid synthesis by Wenkert and co-workers (129, 130). Aimed at the total synthesis of vallesiachotamine (9), valuable model studies were reported (131-133). Reduction of pyridinium salts 183 and 184 with sodium dithionite and subsequent acid-induced cyclization represents a convenient method for preparing val-lesiachotamine-type derivatives 185 and 186, respectively. 

In contrast to the reductive cyclization, the indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidine structure can also be formed from 7V-)8-(3-indolyl)ethylpiperidine derivatives by oxidizing the piperidine moiety to an immonium ion followed by spontaneous cyclization. Unfortunately, chemical yields obtained from this oxidative cyclization tactic were extremely low in most cases <62JOC2283, 62JA4914). An alternative was to form the piperidine A-oxide and then to cyclize it into indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidine using trifluoroacetic anhydride <72CC930> or ferrous sulfate <72JOC1083>. 

The reduction of several indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines by BY gave novel products resulting from reduction of the indole double bond, cleavage of the C-D ring junction, or reduction of a lactame to a carbinol amine [371]. The known reduction of aromatic nitro compounds has been used as a key step in the synthesis of 2-aryl-2/f-benzotriazoles. Thus, treatment of the o-nitrophenylazo dye 342 gave the 2-aryl-2/7-benzotriazole-l-oxides 343 in good yields [513]. 

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